Why Placenta Encapsulation?
Ever since the very beginning of my midwifery apprenticeship, I have been extremely fascinated by the placenta. It wasn’t until I was practicing as a midwife that I fully realized the gift a placenta bring to Mom, babies and families.
- During pregnancy, a woman’s ovaries, pituitary and pineal glands turn over production of critical hormones–progesterone, estrogen, and others–to the placenta. When the baby is born and the placenta is delivered, the mother’s body shifts hormone production back to their normal sources.
- Within three days after birth, a mother’s hormone levels drop precipitously. It can take anywhere from 6 to 12 weeks before these hormones are back to normal. Some women suffer severe postpartum depressions due to this hormonal disturbance.
- By returning a woman’s own hormones to her body through placental encapsulation, much of this hormone deficiency can be alleviated naturally, creating HUGE improvements in overall health and well being until her body starts producing the necessary hormones.
- Furthermore, our proprietary blend of herbs supports and supplements the body’s return to balance.
Studies are showing that placental encapsulation can:
- increase milk secretion
- enhance and elevate mood
- quickening of healing postpartum
- decrease baby blues and postpartum depression
- increase iron production
- increase normal sleep patterns
- increase in energy
Placental Ingestion not only serves mom and baby but also serves the family as a whole. As we all know….when Mom feels good….We ALL feel GOOD! My clients do call them their “happy pills” and state they have seen large improvements in physical and emotional stability postpartum. Below are some of the other improvements women are claiming from placental ingestion:
- Quickened uterine shrinkage
- Decreased anxiety and worry
- Mood enhancement
- Feeling “normal” after delivery
- Stronger connections between mom & baby and Mom & other family members
- Increased milk supply
- Quickened healing time
- Less postpartum bleeding
- Overall emotional/psychological sense of peace and well being
Below is Jodie Salendar (placentabenefits.org) talking about the benefits of placenta encapsulation.
This next video is a little long and unprofessional but she gives some GREAT information about placenta ingestion.
Healing Benefits of Placental Ingestion
The placenta has been seen as a sacred organ by many different cultures throughout history. It has been used to halt postpartum hemorrhage, increase iron stores, speed recovery after childbirth, boost lactation, tone liver and kidneys, and provide needed nutrients.
Some time in the middle of pregnancy, the placenta proceeds to do the function of creating progesterone and estrogen, along with other needed hormones, normally a function of the ovaries, pituitary and pineal glands. Once the placenta is delivered, the body is then required to start a shift in production of these hormones from the placenta back to their normal excretion points. The body maintains a latent phase of hormone production for up to 3 days after birth but soon thereafter hormones can drop exceedingly. It can take anywhere from six to twelve weeks before these hormones are regulated, by the glands and endocrine system, as they were in the pre-pregnant state. This is where Placental encapsulation can create HUGE improvements in overall health and well being until your own body can start producing the needed hormones.
LivingMom Placenta Encapsulation
I absolutely adore working with placentas and feel grateful that I can offer this service. I have recently developed a revolutionary process. LivingMom placentas typically retain over 97% of their nutritional value. Other processors don’t come close. LivingMom continues to lead the way in placenta encapsulation! The graph below compares the nutritional value of two leading process techniques in terms of the percent of the nutritional value of the placenta remaining with the placenta post-processing.
My proprietary pharmaceutical grade preparation of the placenta causes little to no damage to the nutritional value especially when compared to other methods of processing that use higher temperatures such as dehydration. My process doesn’t shrink or toughen the tissue nor do we add preservatives. The process basically yields twice as much volume or number of pills with a higher nutritional value than any other provider.
Nursing mom’s and thereby their babies get up to twice (virtually all) the value of the rich materials your body has already made, via the placenta, just for you and baby. In comparing the various methods used in the pharmaceutical industry for processing, it is important to remember that there are three things that cause organic material to deteriorate: heat, water and oxygen. Our process quickly removes all the water at ultra-low heat (ULT) and can be shipped in an oxygen proof container with an oxygen absorber to render the natural decay process null and void over the time frame that the material is designed to be ingested. This ideal processing extends longevity for use of the product for months after packaging. Benefits can include use for first menstruation, low iron levels, or assistance in future conception and pregnancy.
Packaged food and pharmaceuticals can also include deleterious material like preservatives to try to slow down or halt the natural decay process. These additives include such items as sodium nitrate used to preserve color and flavor of meat products. Methcyclone is another material used to slow decay. It is used in packaging of apples and other fruits to stop them from producing ethylene, the natural ripening hormone. BHA and BHT are used in common household foods to keep them from oxidizing. Others include large amounts of salts MSG, sugars. You will find none of these in your LivingMom processed placenta. All the good and none of the bad.
Herbal Blends
As a nutritional herbologist, I found a heightened effectiveness for physical/emotional healing by offering 6 proprietary herbal formulas to the placenta encapsulation pills. Each Mama has her own unique postpartum problems. To make sure the majority of potential specific problems are combated, I’ve targeted key issues that have been relayed to me by my clients. Below are just a few of the herbs I add and how they work for healing.
Herbs Used for Quicker Healing of Internal and External Wounds:
Marshmallow herb aids in rebuilding tissue by increasing moisture content on skin tissues which can improve the healing processes.
Comfrey (one of my ALL time FAVORITE herbs) works as a cell proliferate which can increase healing. It has also been known to reduce inflammation and regulate bleeding.
Oak Bark can help to strengthen blood vessels and tighten tissues. Historically it has been used to treat wounds and fight bacterial and viral infections.
Black Walnut Leaf has been used historically as a parasitic but the can also help boost the immune system while increase healing more rapidly. It is a plant that fights bacteria and viruses before they take hold of the system. I personally take this herb weekly to prevent colds and flus especially during the winter months.
Herbs Used for Stimulating Hormonal Balance:
Black Cohosh has been used for centuries to help the uterus contract. Its use in the postpartum period aids the uterus in returning to its normal size quicker. It also acts as a anti-inflammatory and can have mild sedative effects that help Mom relax and feel calm.
Squaw Vine has been used for years by Native Americans during menstruation, conception, pregnancy, birth and breastfeeding. It aids in hormonal regulation and can increase milk supply.
False Unicorn has also been used by Native Americans to aid in fertility. It is a hormonal regulator and activates the ovaries to balance progesterone and estrogen production.
I feel its important to remember that how well we are eating and taking care of ourselves will effect what actually goes into your placenta. The healthier your diet and lifestyle….the healthier your placentas and the greater benefits you receive. To learn more about what I believe to be a healthy diet, you can go to my RAW FOODS page. I teach classes regularly so please check back to attend one locally or find one taught online.
Testimonials
I looked into getting my placenta encapsulated because anxiety and postpartum runs in my family pretty heavily. I am so glad I went with Rachel. I knew I could relax and know that she would handle my placenta with care and love. I received my placenta capsules within 48 hours after I gave birth which was great because I could feel my hormones shifting on the second day
I love that Rachel adds herbs to the placenta because the amount of capsules last longer and I get the added healing benefits of the herbs. I received a large bottle and was able to take the capsules for almost two months. I still have a few left over that I kept for some of my harder days when I needed an emotional pick me up.
I am happy to say that I never got any postpartum symptoms or even the slightest baby blues and my milk came in great at 4 days postpartum. I am still nursing my baby exclusively at four months and I am over all happy and loving being a new mommy. I definitely feel that taking my placenta played a major role in that. Being a first time mommy is hard enough without dealing with baby blues or depression. I wanted to make sure I could enjoy every single moment of my postpartum time with my new baby and that is exactly what I did. I will definitely have my placentas encapsulated by Rachel with future births.
-Katrina Green, mother of a beautiful healthy baby girl
During my fourth pregnancy I was exposed to and learned more about benefits of placenta for mother and after birth recovery. I didn’t think much about it then but as the time grew closer I felt very strongly that placenta encapsulation was something that would be very beneficial to me and my baby. Rachel Talley – who was also my midwife – encapsulated my placenta immediately after birth. I was thrilled when only 2 days later I already had a large bottle-full of beautiful capsules, a placenta tree print and a keepsake umbilical heart brought to me.
Being my fourth baby, I did not have half the time to give to myself between the new schools , start of the school year and about 1001 thing that needed to be done. But as I started taking the capsules , I noticed a significant change in how I felt. Within 3 days I was back to my normal self , grounded , stable, happy and full of energy. No baby blues, no tears, no anxiety – the typical after the baby stuff that every woman experiences. I also noticed that I did NOT experience the typical postpartum hair loss – – a first for me.I attribute this largely to the placenta pills. Out of many methods Available for placenta encapsulation, I highly recommend Rachel’s and will use her services again in the future.
~Olya Hill
Head on over to my product page which can be found at livingmombirth.com/shop. I do ship out of state for no extra charge.
If you are interested in me encapsulating your placenta or have any questions, I can be reached at: